1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connector inspecting apparatus for inspecting the mounting condition or the like of terminals of connectors which are used for connecting wire harnesses to one another or electric devices to one another, such wire harnesses and electric devices being used in a motor vehicle or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a motor vehicle, wire harnesses are used for wiring electric components, and connectors are used for connecting such wire harnesses to one another and for connecting such wire harnesses to the electric components. Each of the connectors generally has a housing made of a synthetic resin material, and female terminals or male terminals attached into terminal housing chambers formed in the housing. A connector in which female terminals are mounted on the housing, is called a female connector, while a connector in which male terminals are mounted on the housing, is called a male connector. When the housing of a female connector is fitted to the housing of a male connector, the male and female terminals to be mutually connected to each other are positionally aligned and connected to each other, thus providing an electric connection therebetween.
For example, if there has been a failure to mount terminals, if the mounting positions of terminals on a housing have been improper or if terminals have been imperfectly crimped on electric wires, the electric components of a motor vehicle cannot be satisfactorily operated. It is therefore required to sufficiently inspect, at the final step of producing a wire harness, whether or not the terminals are accurately and securely mounted on the housing.
FIG. 9 shows the arrangement of a connector inspecting apparatus conventionally used for inspecting the mounting condition of terminals, and FIG. 10 shows how such a conventional connector inspecting apparatus is used.
A plurality of connector inspecting apparatus are fixed, as properly arranged, to an inspection drawing plate 2 on which is mounted a wire harness 1 in which a plurality of coated electric wires are assembled as bundled. On the surface of the inspection drawing plate 2, there is drawn a circuit for the wire harness 1 (which is not shown in FIG. 10). On the surface of the inspection drawing plate 2, the connector inspecting apparatus 10 are respectively disposed at positions corresponding to connectors 3 respectively attached to ends of the wire harness 1.
The connector inspecting apparatus 10 are connected to a conduction inspecting unit 5 through electric wires 6. The conduction inspecting unit 5 is adapted to carry out a conduction inspection based on circuit information relating to the wire harness 1 for checking whether or not the terminals have been securely mounted on the correct positions of the connectors.
As shown in FIG. 9, each of the connector inspecting apparatus 10 comprises a connector receiving portion 11 on which a connector 3 to be inspected is mounted, and an inspecting portion 13 having a plurality of detecting pieces 12 which are arranged side by side at positions respectively corresponding to a plurality of terminals (not shown) mounted on the connector 3. The connector receiving portion 11 is fixed to a base 14 to be fixed to the inspection drawing plate 2. A pair of rails 15 are formed at both lateral sides of the base 14. The inspecting portion 13 is slidably attached to the rails 15.
A lever attaching portion 16 stands from the base 14 at the end thereof opposite to the end thereof at which the connector receiving portion 11 is disposed. A lever 17 is rotatably attached to the lever attaching portion 16. A handle 18 is attached to the lever 17 which integrally has a cam portion 19 adapted to come in contact with the rear end surface of the inspecting portion 13.
For carrying out a conduction inspection, an inspection operator mounts a connector 3 to be inspected, on the connector receiving portion 11 and pulls and raises the lever 17 with the handle 18 held. This causes the cam portion 19 to push the rear end surface of the inspecting portion 13, thus causing the inspecting portion 13 to be slided toward the connector receiving portion 11. As a result, the terminals of the connector 3 come in contact with the detecting pieces 12 of the inspecting portion 13, thus electrically connecting the terminals to the detecting pieces 12.
If there has been a failure to mount the terminals or if the mounting positions of the terminals have been improper, the terminals will not be electrically connected to the detecting pieces 12, or the detecting pieces 12 and the terminals will not properly correspond to each other even though the terminals are electrically connected to the detecting pieces 12. In such a case, a display portion 5a of the conduction inspecting unit 5 displays the occurrence of abnormality. Thus, the inspection operator can be informed that the connector 3 of the wire harness 1 is defective. This prevents defective connectors from being distributed to the market.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the connector inspecting apparatus 10 above-mentioned for schematically illustrating the arrangement thereof. In this connector inspecting apparatus 10, when the lever 17 is rotated, the cam portion 19 pushes the inspecting portion 13, causing the inspecting portion 13 to be slided in directions shown by an arrow 20. In this connection, it is required to ensure, on the inspection drawing plate 2 (See FIG. 10), a sufficient space where the lever 17 can be rotated. Accordingly, it is required to provide, on the inspection drawing plate 2, a space of which length L1 is longer than the length of the base 14.
As another arrangement for sliding the inspecting portion 13, FIG. 12 shows a link-type drive mechanism. In FIG. 12, a lever 21 is rotatably attached to a lever attaching portion 16, and a link 22 is attached, at one end thereof, to the lever 21 at a position thereof which deviates from the axis of rotation of the lever 21. The other end of the link 22 is attached to an inspecting portion 13. According to this arrangement, too, when the lever 21 is rotated, the inspecting portion 13 can be slided in directions shown by an arrow 20.
In the arrangement in FIG. 12, it is required to ensure, on the inspection drawing plate 2, a space where the lever 21 can be rotated, likewise in the arrangement shown in FIG. 11. That is, there is required a space L2 of which the is longer than the length of a base 14.
Thus, each of the arrangements in FIGS. 11 and 12 disadvantageously requires a great space on the inspection drawing plate 2.
Generally, the wire harness to be disposed on the inspection drawing plate 2 is not so simple as shown in FIG. 10, but is often very complicated. Accordingly, when disposing a plurality of connector inspecting apparatus on the inspection drawing plate 2, the space available is very limited. It is therefore desired to reduce the space required for setting a connector inspecting apparatus.
Each of FIGS. 13 and 14 shows an example of a conventional connector inspecting apparatus of which the setting space is relatively small. In the connector inspecting apparatus in FIG. 13, a connector receiving portion 26 is fixed to a base 25 fixed to the drawing plate, and an inspecting portion 27 is so disposed as to be slidable as guided on the base 25 by guide rods 28.
For inspection, an inspecting operator mounts a connector 29 on the connector receiving portion 26, and slides the inspecting portion 27 toward the connector receiving portion 26 with the inspecting portion 27 directly held by his or her fingers.
In the connector inspecting apparatus in FIG. 14, an inspecting portion 31 is fixed to a base 30 and a connector receiving portion 32 is adapted to be slided as guided by guide rods 33. An inspection operator mounts a connector 34 on the connector receiving portion 32 and slides the connector receiving portion 32 as held directly by his or her fingers, toward the inspecting portion 31.
In each of the arrangements in FIGS. 13 and 14, since no lever is used, there is not required a setting space of which the length is longer than the length of the base 25 or 30. However, it is required to slide the inspecting portion 27 or the connector receiving portion 32 as held directly by fingers of the inspection operator. This requires a great force for inspection operation, causing the inspection efficiency to be inevitably lowered.